Next Live In Front of a Studio Audience - Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes

[quote]The cast for the Diff’rent Strokes re-do is intriguing: John Lithgow will play Mr. Drummond, Kevin Hart is Arnold, Damon Wayans embodies Willis, and Ann Dowd portrays Mrs. Garrett. The Facts of Life cast is TBA.

Blair: Chrissy Metz

Tootie: Anika Noni Rose

Natalie: Chrissy Metz in a different costume

Jo: Kristen Stewart

And where is Maude?

They should do the abortion episode.

Diff'rent Strokes is an odd choice for this. What a sad and depressing backstory that show has.

R3 and casting young kids for a live show will be difficult.

Wait, was Janet Jackson in the original cast of 'Facts of Life'?

Is Kevin Hart taking on Gary Coleman’s role as Arnold Drummond?

r4 and r6, read r1.

Hoping they'll reenact the FOL where Mrs. G and the "girls" perform holiday standards for a group of antsy prison inmates before being gang raped in the yard. Merry Christmas!

Odd that they show a photo of season 1 from FOL. Can't imagine it will be an episode from the first season.

John Lithgow as Mr. Drummond?

Hard pass. I despise Lithgow.

What about Kimberly?

Fuck that homophobe Kevin Hart.

Natalie's attempted rape in Charlie Chan drag!

Charlie CHAPLIN, Damnit.

Jen Aniston for Kimberly.

She has the hair.

Will tRump play Geri Jewell? Since he likes to mock the disableds....

I thought Natalie was assaulted as Adolph Hitler.

While dressed as^^^

[quote] "Wait, was Janet Jackson in the original cast of 'Facts of Life'?"

That was "Good Times", R5.

These aren't going to be nearly as good as the last time. And I agree with R2, who mentioned "Maude", which would pretty great. It's a far more important property than the two they've chosen to produce. And I'm with you R12. I'm no fan of Hart either.

This whole thing gets a hard pass from me.

I certainly hope you're not trying to "cancel" Kevin Hart, R12. Over a tweet from 10 years ago.

And then tell people "This is why Trump won" when they try to cancel people over something said from a decade ago.

I like how these are getting more contemporary. Next up, Who’s the Boss, ALF, and Full House.

R20 If he made anti-black or anti-Jewish tweets around that time he'd be canceled for sure.

What's good for other groups is good for us too.

How about we cancel you, r20?

JENNIFER ANNISTON as BLAIR!!!.....Just announced on Kimmel!!!....Gabrielle Union as Tootie!!

I was hoping Chrissy Metz would be tapped as the iconic Natalie. A real missed opportunity...

R24 is correct:

CBS Presents... The Original "One Day at a Time"... LIVE!

Starring Caitlyn Jenner as Ann Romano

Kim Kardashian as Julie Cooper

Khloe Kardashian as Barbara Cooper

Kanye West as Schneider

Aidy Bryant should have been Natalie.

I like the casting (would have also liked Aisha Tyler as Tootie), but there is a little part of me that feels like they just should have gotten the original "girls" to do it since they're all alive & well.

I wonder which episode they've chosen? And who they'll get to sing the theme song live?

R29, AIDy Bryant is NBC.

R30 = I HATE Aisha Tyler....Her ex husband was hot and seems to have gotten a pile of money in the divorce. Also the rumors of her sexuality...She is still doing that stupid CW show. I hope I never lay eyes on her again...

John Lithgow would be better cast as Mrs. Garrison.

Bleh, I'm not watching this crap!

Why do they keep doing these things?

Who is Mes. Garrison?

Jen Aniston as Blair Warner may have made my YEAR.

[quote] Aisha Tyler is a lesbian, happy with her life partner, actress Emily Bett Rickards. In 2018 Aisha shared her mutual photos with the Canadian actress Emily Bett Rickards. On those photos the actresses kissed and hugged, and Aisha wrote in the caption: ‘True love’, admitting her relationship with Emily. She then officially announced that she was a lesbian, and became a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and their rights.

I did not know she turned lez after her divorce.

Will they pick Arnold visiting the bike shop as the episode they recreate? While I am happy for Ann Dowd to get double billing, it feels like a missed opportunity to not also cast Margo Martindale in one of the shows since they are so often confused for one another.

R39 = I also thought of Margo Martindale....Funny lady.......

I love Kathyrn Hahn, but i can't see her as Jo.

Jennifer Aniston is a terrible choice for Blair.

Blair was a flamboyant, melodramatic diva, but Aniston is stiff, wooden and has developed a weird pursed speech affectation in recent years.

Someone like Jane Krakowski would have been perfect as Blair.

Seconding Aidy Bryant as a better pick for Natalie, too.

ABC has been teasing "very special surprise guest stars." Anyone wanna place bets as to whether iGeorge Clooney will reprise his FoL role as George?

Not to mention Jennifer Aniston is too old to play Blair. Isn’t she supposed to be in high school? Could Jen pass for a high school student like Gabrielle Carthesis?

^^ Most of the actors in these two specials are middle-aged (or close to it) and, save for Lithgow and Dowd, will be playing teens. I know they wanted an A-list cast, but having actors in their 40s and 50s play teenaged characters is weird.

R42, Jen can pull off melodramatic diva.

Due to how the child cast of Different Strokes did not have happy lives, and Coleman's health issue were basically exploited of so he could play younger, it seems like an odd choice. Not to mention the fact, that the show was only funny for kids under the age of 12 when it aired. It is not like we are going to see and appreciate some sharp sitcom writing.

Jeninifer Aniston was a sketch comedy actor? Why did she never get on SNL?

I think she may have auditioned. One would think since her father was on Days, there would've been some clout. Maybe it was her old nose?

Aniston turned down a chance to audition for SNL.

Who would we cast in Maude if they did a live episode?

R29 I can see Jane Lynch as Maude

Shelley Hack, Rose.

Blair: Rihanna Jo: Hannah Gadsby Natalie: Margaret Cho Tootie: Tiffany Haddish

They should do Maude and Hot L Baltimore next.

The 1st one was cast credibly. This seems more like…I don’t know, parody?

Just be glad Jamie Foxx isn’t going to ruin it with his unprofessional behaviour.

I've only seen clips from the AITF/Jefferson reproductions, so I'm not sure.....but it seems that the big theme here is how relevant the Norman Lear sitcoms still are today. And how much, or how little, has changed.

Which makes me think that FOL episode is going to be "Who Am I?" The one where Tootie questions about her "blackness" because all of her friends are white.

R56 people always forget that DS and FOL are Norman Lear shows, because his production company was credited and not himself as a producer

But Lear was a very hands on producer of these shows during the early years

Al Burton said, Lear would go over every script and every line of dialogue in every FOL script with him every week and give him notes on changes

R42 hell no, I’m the big special guest!

Bravo, R58

It won't be Clooney -- not as George Burnett, anyway. They won't be re-acting any of the George Burnett episodes.

I'm telling you, it's going to be "Who Am I?". And the special guest star will be Will Smith as the candy vendor who questions Tootie's blackness because all (or most) of her friends are white.

Any means they can use to cash in on GenX nostalgia now that we are aging. Sounds like a terrible idea to do this.

What about Brooke Smith as Maude?

Maude would be the trickiest one to do. I mean Maude IS Bea Arthur in a way none of the other characters (except Archie Bunker) are identified with their actors. But AITF was still a brilliant ensemble, on Maude none of the other characters even matter. Can you see any famous actor wanting to even take any of those other parts?

Next up, "Hello, Larry" with Kim (again) and Kyle Richards as the Adler sisters, whose lifestyle podcast is haunted by the ghost of Larry King (in hologram).

When will they do a live episode of The Dumplings!?! wtf

Jon Stewart is going to be on this, too. No idea who he will be playing, though.

[quote]Who would we cast in Maude if they did a live episode?

Harvey Fierstein.

We need cameos by the original FOL girls and Molly Ringwald.

R67, I'd be surprised if some of the original FOL girls didn't appear (as Marla did last year).

Have they only done Norman Lear shows? If so, I wouldn't be surprised if they indeed do Maude next -- especially the abortion episode if the Supreme Court decides in favor of the Mississippi law.

Good/great AITF cast, R62, except that Woody Harrelson was a terrible Archie Bunker.

R32 wasn't there gossip years ago that Aisha Tyler secretly hates being around other black people? She has always come off as phony.

[quote] But Lear was a very hands on producer of these shows during the early years

I'm pretty sure that's completely inaccurate.

They should do One Day at a Time & Maude but with drag queens.

R72 nope if you listen or watch FOL documentaries, he was there for casting, and was on set a lot during the early seasons. Geri Jewell who played Cousin Geri says he picked her for the show after seeing her stand up

Mindy Cohn said Norman would send her notes saying “You can’t laugh at your own jokes” etc

I have no idea what you're talking about, R32, and it doesn't matter. Aisha Tyler is funny & charming. She dressed up as Tootie for a segment on The Talk (with Lisa Whelchel) and joked that she was the tallest Tootie ever.

Clooney could still make an appearance even if they do an earlier episode - they can easily get a little “creative” and bring his character in somehow. I was joking about Jermaine but I’m 99% sure it’ll be Clooney - he’s game for that sort of thing, too.

Will Smith doesn’t like doing anything where he’s not the absolute star.

And I was joking about Will Smith. I had him on the brain because of King Richard.

Of course he wouldn't do it. And neither will Clooney. It's going to people like Jon Stewart....and maybe Lisa Kudrow.

Let's revive 'Alice' but this time *I'll* play Mel! Who's in?

[quote] Clooney could still make an appearance even if they do an earlier episode

He could be Mr. Bradley or Mr. Parker.

I hope they do the episode where Jo ate Natalie's snatch while Blair and Tootie scissored each other, and Mrs. Garrett sat in the corner and videotaped the whole thing.

I always just think of this... I think it's brilliant and hilarious. Tootie!!!

R80 see R81 probably the closest you're gonna get!

Norman Lear & Brent Miller talk about the casting.

Apparently, there will be three "unexpected visitors" to FOL.

They should just reboot The Rerun Show.

I could see Clooney doing it. He likes being thought of as a good sport. Doesn't he have a new film coming out, too? It seems like the sort of setting where he could have fun and cut up, like on the Ocean's sets.

Clooney complained about doing a day’ work for $35 million. He’s not a good sport.

That was for a commercial, not an acting job...

They need to do What's Happening next with Leslie Jones in the Shirley Hemphill role.

Probably Lisa Whelchel, Natalie, and Tootie.

Will this be the official viewing thread? Starts at 8pm!

Dear Datalounge,

How Do I Watch This ?

Signed, American Expat in Mexico

It won't be Clooney.

He is in Australia filming his next bomb of a movie with Julia Roberts.

The ABC promos during tonight's show will be 80s-style.

I was right -- Aniston was AWFUL as Blair. Wooden, unfunny. Kathryn Hahn, whom I normally enjoy, was also terrible as Jo.

Lisa Whelchel, who showed up at the end, looked amazing and should have just reprised her role.

Wow, did nobody watch? I thought this thread would've been in the 400s

R95 It’s crickets in here for some reason. Ann Dowd and Allison Tolman were both very good. They brought a humanity to their characters that the others did not. Aniston and Hahn were terrible. Kevin Hart was good but he should have shaved his beard.

[quote]Lisa Whelchel, who showed up at the end, looked amazing and should have just reprised her role.

It has been a while since I have seen the show, but I thought Whelchel had decent comic timing and was not a bad actress or at the very least nailed that part. She probably would have been good.

Was anyone else shocked that Jennifer Aniston agreed to do this? Given her treatment by the media as being this A-list star, you just wouldn't think that she'd "lower" herself to do something as cheesy and gimmicky as this. Maybe she's friends with Kimmel?

THR's review:

That THR review is spot on.

That’s because we forgot about it right after it ended, R95.

The difference between this and the All in the Family/The Jeffersons is having adults play kids completely changes it. This would've been much better with actors in their late teens or 20s in those roles. It's sketch comedy camp right out of the gate with adults, as opposed to just a neat twist on nostalgia.

[quote]The difference between this and the All in the Family/The Jeffersons is having adults play kids completely changes it.

I think the difference is the source material. All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times were adult-oriented sitcoms that pushed the envelope in many ways. The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes were standard 70s-80s fare aimed at kids.

I love stuff like this and was a teenager when these shows aired originally. I was really looking forward to them, but thought they were a colossal waste of time, energy, and money.

I thought Ann Dowd was great and the send-up commercials were funny.

Apparently this is the official thread

Wow did Lisa look great. I seriously questioned if it was her or somebody impersonating her because she looked like Blair……..in the 80s. Lisa has not aged at all. It was VERY disconcerting to see. I agree with many here- she should have played Blair again.

Kim looked terrible. Her face hasn’t aged much but she was fat. Mindy looked terrible. Nancy is a bitch for not showing up. It is NORMAL LEAR bitch.

Lisa looked fucking amazing.

Remarriage and a discovery of a more accepting and tolerant version of Christianity seems to have done her a world of good.

Lisa Whelchel is a grandmother and she looks the same as she did when she was a teenager. She must have found the fountain of youth.

I thought the weakest link would be Kevin Hart and he ended up stealing the whole thing.

[quote]Lisa Whelchel is a grandmother and she looks the same as she did when she was a teenager. She must have found the fountain of youth.

She's also the eldest of the four FOL girls. She chose her face over the ass, and it worked out.

Good for her.

R111 she’s thinner (and whiter) than either Kim or Mindy, so that’s not it. (Kind of a bullshit theory anyway)

R110 I thought he was “cancelled” a few years back after his anti gay “Ill fucking kill my son if he’s a faggot” tirades

R113 wasn’t that Tracey Morgan?

R114 Hart too, he refused to apologize and doubled down on his comments and then played victim and went on Ellen, who promptly used her lesbian privilege, as lesbians are nowhere near as hated by people as gay men are , to join him in knocking gay men by saying, “We won’t let THEM win Kevin “

[quote]I thought the weakest link would be Kevin Hart and he ended up stealing the whole thing.

I thought it was incredibly sweet (and probably true) when Mindy said that wherever Charlotte Rae is, she was probably toasting Ann Dowd.

Has Lisa ever done Hallmark movies? Whatever one thinks of the genre, she'd be perfect for them.

She's done a few of them since Survivor, including two with Kim Fields and one with her daughter Clancy. This one wasn't half-bad.

Did Cousin Geri show up drunk again?

Merry Christmas from Blair Warner and the girls.

Just a little more Christmas....

Lisa Whelchel has a lovely voice.

I would have been far more interesting had Lisa Whelchel reprised her role as "Blair" along with the new cast.

[quote] Merry Christmas from Blair Warner and the girls.

[quote]Just a little more Christmas...

Yet nothing for Chanukah or Kwanzaa. Oh, yeah, I’ve got my eye on you now.

If you want Hanukkah.....